A More Realistic Style Of Horror...

Rating: Null/10 (17 June 2004)

Five out of Five Stars
I am no fan of zombie movies, but 28 DAYS LATER is not exactly what I'd call a zombie movie, but rather a well crafted, apocalyptic tale of the end of humanity - so to speak. When a virus created by the government called Rage gets set loose upon the populace of Britain by animal rights activists who 'think' they are doing good, the entire country's population quickly becomes infected. The virus is spread by a victim's infected blood (which they tend to spew up uncontrollably) entering the body of another persons (through the mouth, nose, eyes, or a cut), which then completely overtakes them within 20 seconds. Jim, who has been in a coma since before the outbreak, suddenly awakens in the hospital and begins his confusing search for answers in the eerily deserted streets of London. He quickly finds them as he encounters infected multitudes in a church and is rescued by a couple of un-infected survivors named Selena and Mark. That is simply the basic opening premise to the film, not the whole story!
The movie introduces you to several well developed characters that you will really come to care for as the story progresses. You really are concerned over who may die, or what the group's fate will ultimately be. Basically, you will be drawn into their struggle for survival, as well as enjoying the lighter moments as the group bonds and becomes more like a small family. There are many unexpected incidents that keep you guessing throughout the entire movie, creating a very unnerving mood overall. Filled with disturbing images and ideas, this movie will definitely leave you with lots to think about after the credits roll. These are the signs of a film succeeding on a higher level than most these days.
The visual style of the movie is not to be ignored either. Danny Boyle's choice to film it using a Digi-Cam was brilliant. It adds to the realism of the entire film, bringing to light the loneliness of the world around. The horrific scenes depicting Rage-infected men, women, or even children crawling and running up towards the camera are terror inducing and really manage to drive the horror of the character's situation home. Director Boyle also masterly crafts some very surreal dream sequences for Jim that perfectly depicts what pent up worry and fear can cause the mind to imagine.
All of this is capped off by a well written score that compliments the film in every way, from the intense and very stressful scenes to the quieter, character driven moments. Very impressive work overall!
Some may not like the ending, but after all that these characters have been through it was nice to walk away from this film with some happiness and hope. Not everyone could have pulled off such an idea, but it works well here. It is a relief not to be stuck with a shock-value ending, or some weird twist in the story during the last frame that seems to have become common place in movies of this genre. I recommend this film to everyone who is old enough to see it. 28 DAYS LATER is truly an artistic masterpiece that actually dares to have a point behind it!